Americas role as mediator in the past two hundred and fifty years is the basis of a book by professor Elizabeth Cobbs Hoffman called "American Umpire" this book studies why this country has expanded its roles overseas and seems to get involved in every conflict that takes place Round the world. She states that the unique federal structure and never ending desire for trade is what has caused us basically to be an umpire more so than an empire. The power of our federal system naturally expanded our frontiers and took a continent after the war of 1812 and basically all states in the Western Hemisphere would expand their borders until they hit another strong state with an established border. The quest for a triumph of Republican nation-states over further extension of monarchical empires is what has driven this country to put itself in a role of umpire. The Monroe Doctrine was a declaration of this in 1823 and shortly after that America embarked on a westward expansion to greatly increase its size and strength to preserve these alums our leaders in the past held to a high standard.
Ms Hoffman gives a great detailed a count of the role this country has played and our diplomatic successes in avoiding two costly World Wars and entering it at the right time where we would tremendously benefit from post war outcomes. The book goes through our role in overseas ventures from opening up Japan to world trade through Matthew Perry's assignments in Asia to our role in preventing colonization of China. Contrary to public knowledge, America did get involved in many overseas administration problems well before the Spanish-American war which soon after we went full colonial establishing bases and forestalling the hopes of Filipino nationalists for their own independent nation. Under the guise of humanitarian missions this country ventured on an overseas adventures to establish American business hegemony over many parts of the world in the capitalist need for growth profit, and monopoly of markets. The open door policy that past administrations demanded pretty much ensured a dependency of foreign governments to the United States in the form of debt and repayment not much unlike what is still occurring today.
This is primarily the reason why some rich countries stay rich and poor countries remain poor when you have an overbearing umpire patrolling lands everywhere using threats influence on weaker governments for control. this country is an empire and instead of an umpire our role has been more of a mafia enforcer for big business landownership throughout the Americas and the Pacific.
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